Movie Review: Two Weeks (2006)

Genre: Dramedy  

Director: Steve Stockman  

Starring: Sally Field, Ben Chaplin, Julianne Nicholson, Thomas Cavanagh  

Running Time: 102 minutes  

Synopsis: Suffering from terminal cancer, Anita (Sally Field) is placed under home palliative care, and her grown children gather to provide support in her final days. Keith (Ben Chaplin) is a Hollywood actor, Barry (Thomas Cavanagh) is a businessman, Emily (Julianne Nicholson) is the responsible daughter, and Matthew (Glenn Howerton) is the disrespected youngest sibling. Tears mix with laughter as the siblings navigate their mother's health, moods, final wishes, and each other.

What Works Well: This standard family-coping-with-death drama appreciates moments of healthy humour, highlighted by the intervention of a less-than-effective Rabbi and one misfit spouse. Sally Field is reliably perfect as Anita surrenders to her final few days, and straight-to-the-audience flashbacks animate the role as a healthier Anita responds to her son Keith's from-behind-the-camera prodding. Elsewhere the four siblings' different personalities, levels of responsibility, and methods of coping are sharply drawn.

What Does Not Work As Well: None of the important clear-the-air conversations ever seem to happen, the aversion to difficult resolutions perhaps realistic but contributing to a narrative happy to amble along in blissful avoidance. A final let-it-all-out emotional release is just too contrived.

Key Quote:

Barry (to Keith): I've never been thrown out of a grocery store.

All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.